Just to let everyone know, with youth camp this week and kid's camp next week I will probably not get anything posted until the week of August 7th. Amy and I are also supposed to close on our house on July 31st. I will get posts up about both camps and our house ASAP.

God Bless

Comments

Unforntunately, due to some comment spam, I have had to turn on the "word verification" function in comments to help end the spam (blogger's suggestion). I still want to encourage comments and discussion about anything that is posted on my blog. I am just trying to keep the spam comments out of my inbox. Thanks for understanding.

Youth Camp

Sunday kicks off two solid weeks of camp. Immediately following church Sunday our teens will leave for MUM Youth Camp at Crowley’s Ridge Youth Camp between Jonesboro and Paragould, AR. For most of our teens this is the only time of the year they are able to leave the city. This is the only time they spend in the outdoors (other than their yards). It is a time to relax and leave the pressures of the city behind. For some of our youth camp is “home.” Several years ago one of the teens at camp said that for one week of the year he was at home, and the other fifty-one weeks he was “visiting.” Camp is a safe place for our teens. For that reason, and many others, every year I am ready to step up to the plate and give whatever it takes to make youth camp happen. Youth camp is too important.

This year’s theme for youth camp is “God’s Young Heroes.” We will be looking at the young people in Scripture that God used to accomplish his purposes. People like young Samuel, Josiah, a young David, Daniel, Timothy, Queen Esther, Ruth, and Mary. Our teens will hear that God still uses young people today to accomplish his purposes in this world. Our young people will hear that God will use them, IF they will let him.

Please pray for us at camp this week. Here is a list of specific items to pray for.

1. God will meet us at camp.
2. For our Directors and counselors—have patience with the teens and get needed rest.
3. For our teens—that they will hear God’s call on their life, will have fun, and have a positive attitude all week.

Unemployment and Underemployment

Weekly I hear people in the neighborhood talking about employment. Most of them are seeking a job, but I also know of several individuals who are working multiple jobs because one job just doesn’t pay the bills. Unemployment and underemployment (having a job that is insufficient to meet basic necessities of life) are chronic issues in our neighborhood.

The 1st problem is a lack of jobs in our area. There are not enough available jobs for all of the individuals seeking employment. There is an urgent need for new businesses and industries to come into our area. Thankfully, we are beginning to see signs that growth is coming (a new Toyota parts facility which they say will eventually be converted to full scale automobile production; a new inter-modal and warehouse facility; and several new restaurants.) While many individuals in the neighborhood are not qualified for jobs that require a certain level of education and experience—the simple fact is there will be a trickle down effect. As more businesses and industries open service sector jobs should also increase. This is where many of the individuals in our neighborhood will find employment.

The 2nd problem is with the jobs that are available. In many cases these are the lower paying type jobs with a high turnover rate—fast food service, hotel cleaning, etc. These jobs are providing work and income, but seem to have a detrimental impact. When an individual in our neighborhood finds employment (in one of these type jobs) their government assistance is drastically reduced -- to the point that the individual is receiving less money and benefits than if they had not accepted the position. They are “punished” for finding work. And with the way welfare is now structured, they are also punished for not finding work—again through the loss of benefits.

An answer to the underemployment issue is addressing the minimum wage. The federal minimum wage has been frozen since 1997! (See Larry James’ blog post Minimum Wage More than Frozen in Place--Part One) Thankfully several states are not waiting on the federal government to act before they take action. This includes Arkansas. Arkansas recently passed legislation increasing the minimum to over $6.00 per hour. However, an effort to amend the state constitution through a vote of the people to tie the minimum wage to inflation based on the Consumer Price Index was defeated. This is exactly the step that the state of Florida has taken to address the issue there. (For the results of what has happened in Florida since that law passed see Larry James’ blog post Minimum Wage More than Frozen in Place--Part Two.)

However, more must be done. As we all go through the remaining political eletion season, I want to encourage you to support canidates who support the poor. That includes a possition for an increase in the minimum wage.

Conflict

I hate conflict. I really hate conflict! I tell people that my usual practice is to run from conflict like it was the plague. My motto is “Can’t we all just get along.” Unfortunately, this hasn’t always served me the best. Over the past several weeks I have been dealing with several issues that involve conflict—and require my leadership as the Director of the ministry and minister of the church.

The first is that two church “members,” who used to be best friends are not getting along. Their interpersonal conflict has spilled over into and has affected the life of the church. To me it is very much a Philippians 4 situation. We don’t know what happened between Euodia and Syntyche, but it was big enough that Paul knew about it—and he wasn’t even in Philippi. Paul told them to “iron out their differences and make up. God’s doesn’t want his children holding grudges” (The Message). While we knew the things that broke these to ladies apart, they seemed unable to work beyond them and iron out their differences. Unfortunately, we are still working to resolve this situation.

The other situation, which erupted last week, is too delicate to describe here and requires an investigation through the Arkansas Department of Human Services. Right now, I don’t see how there can be a happy ending with this one. People have been hurt and lives have been affected. While we are letting the authorities sort out the legal issues, there is a moral stand that must be taken by the church as well. In fact, our Servant Leaders made the decision last Wednesday (with my recommendation) to ask an individual to worship somewhere other than Wonder City, until the investigation could be completed and the results of that process were made available.

God must have some kind of humor. It has only been since the first of May that I have fully made the transition from the youth guy to the one leading the church. Right out of the blocks we have these two major issues. I wish I knew what God was doing! One thing is for sure though, I believe God is teaching and working on me just as much as others in these two situations. I believe that it is only through pain that we as individuals grow. When we are comfortable and things are going well, we have no reason to stretch and grow. It is only when life is tough and we are not comfortable that growth can occur. For me this has meant that I have had to fight my natural tendency to run from and avoid these issues. It has not been easy staying in the struggle. I wish I had the perspective on conflict that one of my good friends has. He views conflict as a sign of health. For him, the absence of conflict means that apathy has set in. But conflict means that people still care and are willing to work. Maybe one day I can have that view of conflict. But until then, I will fight. I will continue to fight the tendency within me to run from and avoid conflict. I will stay where God has put me until I have learned what it is that he wants me to learn. So pray for me. Pray that I will learn to value and accept conflict for the growth opportunity that it is.

And pray for those involved in these two situations. Pray that God will work them out to His glory!

Uplift

Over a five day period from June 24-29, Nathan Bills (my ministry partner) took 11 teens to Uplift (a camp for teens at Harding University). The following is an article he wrote for the Missouri Street Church of Christ bulletin. Missouri Street made it possible for our teens to attend Uplift.

This past week at Uplift eleven Wonder City teens were encouraged to reflect upon different relationships—family, friends, the world, God. In our Tuesday night devotional when the group shared some reactions to the week, their comments demonstrated that they had indeed been reflecting. I asked them about their fears, successes, dreams, and weaknesses. They responded by talking about relationships. And I was reminded once again about how much negativity these kids experience in their lives.

The speaker on Tuesday night, though, spoke from a text that gives these kids a turning point: “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you…was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes…” (2 Cor. 1.19-20). God has said “yes” to these kids in Jesus Christ. I think that message encapsulates the week at Uplift for these kids. Many of them did not look forward to returning home in large part because their environment says “no” in more ways than one. Yet, this past week they were able to hear God’s “yes” in classes, activities, and daily worship. Missouri Street made this trip possible, and we want to thank you for being a part of God’s “yes” to us.